Julie Kenney, who farms with her family in central Iowa, has been named deputy agriculture secretary.

Kenney, 36, will help lead the Iowa Department of Agriculture, with a focus on personnel, budget and policy issues.

She also will help represent the department at meetings across the state, said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, who announced her appointment Monday.

“Julie has a passion for agriculture and will be a tremendous asset to the department,” Naig said. “Her background and experience are a natural fit for the department, and I’m excited to have her on our team.”

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Roger Zylstra harvest soybeans on his farm near Kellogg, Iowa, in 2017, working into the night to catch up after a wet week.
Rodney White and Michael Zamora/The Register

Before joining the agency, Kenney was active in the agribusiness industry for nearly 15 years, serving in marketing and communications roles for private industry and agricultural associations and checkoff programs.

Kenney and her family own and operate a corn and soybean farm near Nevada.

Farm groups welcomed her appointment.

The Iowa Corn Growers and the Iowa Soybean Association said Kenny’s been an active member.

“We’re confident in the wealth of first-hand experience she brings to the position,” said Bill Shipley, a Nodaway farmer and president of the Iowa Soybean Association.

Shipley said the group looked forward to continued collaboration with Kenney and the department on water quality, trade and renewable fuels, among other issues.

Kenney, who grew up on her family’s crop and livestock farm near Lohrville in northwest Iowa, said she was honored to serve as deputy secretary.

“The department plays an important role in protecting consumers, improving our natural resources and promoting Iowa agriculture,” she said in a statement.